Not Just a Bar
by thestupidgenius1123
Summary: "Rick's. The bar that'll change your life." Fax. Future fic. Post-Angel. One-shot. Rated-T. [Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. All rights reserved to James Patterson. No infringement or copyright intended.]


**Not Just a Bar**

**Summary: Rick's. A bar that'll change your life. Fax. Future fic. Post-Angel. One-shot. Rated-T. **

**A/N: Hello there. **

**I wrote this because…it was an idea that wouldn't leave me alone. **

**This one-shot takes place seven years after **_**Angel**_**. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. I just play with JP's characters. **

**WARNING: This story is rated T for language and - yes - there are sexual references in the story. No hate. Let's all be real, here. If you're supposed to be reading rated T stories, you should be a-okay. If you aren't…there's a section called K. **

**This will absolutely, positively stay a one-shot. Will not be continued. Ever. Thanks!**

MAX

The place was called Rick's.

I wasn't sure why exactly I was drawn inside; probably _not _the half-lit neon sign, or the three men by the entrance who looked beyond shady. It was small, and it absolutely didn't look busy. It was kind of an eyesore compared to the rest of the Denver nightlife.

On the front brick wall of the building, someone had spray painted the 21 and over sign to read "It'll change your life."

Doubt it.

I stood in front of the entrance, though, wondering if I should go in. I watched two girls make their way inside. They barely looked of age.

I hesitated.

In that second of hesitation, I thought about going home.

But, I couldn't. Iggy had specifically said:

_It's your birthday. Get out of our hair and go mess shit up._

He just had a way with words.

The Flock and I'd been living in this town for five years. In that length of time, we'd all made friends, had relationships, and tried our hardest to forget our pasts. It hadn't been an easy five years at all, but we had survived, and we were all still together - for the most part.

After the whole Itex debacle, we went down in history as mutant heroes and the world forever remembered the Flock for saving the human race, yada yada yada…

We hid ourselves. It was as simple as that - we wanted new lives. After a few months of bribing higher-ups to create fake legal documents for us (i.e. birth certificates, I.D.s, social security numbers…) we were set. Then all Angel had to do was brainwash anyone who was catching on to our little scheme anytime someone got close to unveiling us.

It sucked living double lives, and maybe one day we'd reveal ourselves to the world…but for now?

Maximum Ride and the Flock had fallen off the face of the Earth. And no one has seen them since Itex fell, once and for all.

Anyways. I went into Rick's. The inside, thankfully, wasn't nearly as gross as the outside. It was dim inside, and I could see it was more crowded than I had expected. People were sitting around at wooden tables, drinking and talking. A long bar was at the far left of the room. Surprisingly, I wasn't the only young person there.

I sighed and walked over to the bar, sitting down on one of the black-cushioned stools and turning myself to face the rest of the room. The bartender was at the opposite end of the bar, serving drinks to the girls who'd come in moments before me. I leaned back against the bar.

What was I doing here?

I'd never had a drop of alcohol in my life. Was that really about to change tonight?

I sure as hell didn't think so.

Until the bartender spoke from behind me, his voice low and smooth. "Gonna order something?"

I froze. I _knew _there'd been a reason that I had been so hesitant to go inside. There was _no _way…

I spun around in my stool until I was face-to-face with the bartender. The uniform was totally fitting for him, considering it was all black. His hair was shorter, less shaggy, and his dark eyes were just as calculating as they had been seven years ago.

"Jesus," he mumbled, as if he was in as much shock as I was. "What are you doing in a bar in Denver at 10pm on a Friday night?"

"You've got to be kidding."

I couldn't help it but laugh.

The one bar I chose to go into, and Fang was the fucking bartender. Happy 21st birthday to me.

He cleared his throat, his eyes raking my figure up and down. "Do you want something?"

I had a feeling he wasn't bartending when he asked that question, but I answered with a breezy, "Something strong, to get me through the utter shock of seeing you behind a bar."

He cracked a small grin, nodding his head.

As he started pouring me a shot, I said, "Aren't you going to ask me for my I.D.?"

He looked up at me, his dark eyes searching mine. "I know what day it is…" he trailed off, waiting for me to tell him my name.

"Mackenzie!"

Seriously?

I was an hour away from home, and yet I could still run into people I knew? Fucking hell. There really was no escape.

I turned my head to see one of mine and Iggy's 'friends' (could they really be my friends if they didn't know my real name?) coming over from a nearby table, his girlfriend-of-the-week on his arm.

"Josh, what a pleasant surprise," I mumbled. I turned back to the bar as the two of them made their way to me. "I'm gonna need that shot _right _now."

Fang grinned, pushing the small glass in front of me. I knocked it back, barely able to stop myself from choking as the burning liquid slid down my throat. "What the fuck was that?"

He just shook his head, amusement in his features. "_Mackenzie_? Really?"

I glared at him and turned around to see Josh.

"Hey, Mack, where's Ryan? Thought you two had plans tonight."

"Nope," I said. When I turned around to face the bar, a new drink had been set in front of me. I glanced up at Fang before taking a long swing of whatever he'd given me that time. "Not in the mood for a chat, Josh. See ya."

Josh just laughed. Either he was used to my irritable moods or he thought I was joking. "Alright, Mack, see ya later." He clapped me on the shoulder and led his girlfriend out the door.

I rolled my eyes.

"Is Ryan Dylan's undercover name?"

I eyed him, catching the subtle twitch in his features at the name _Dylan_. Honestly, I hadn't talked to Dylan for almost as long as I hadn't talked to Fang. "You wish."

Fang mulled this over for a few moments. "Why Mackenzie?"

"It's easier for the others. If they fuck up, I can say 'Max' was really 'Mack'. Saved our asses a million times."

Fang refilled my drink, which I honestly hadn't noticed was gone. "How well do you hold your liquor?"

"…I guess we'll find out," I said, shrugging, and I took another drink.

Fang left for a minute to tend to other people's orders and clean tables. For my sake, I focused on my drink and my drink only. It helped me not stare at him so creepily as he used a shaker to make the ladies at the end martinis.

I was still kind of in shock that he was really there. We hadn't spoken since he left. We had teamed up with his little group, rescued Angel and saved the world, the totally split and went our separate ways. I had thought, back then, that after saving the world, maybe he'd stay with us. But we'd already screwed up our relationship too royally to just be together again. There was too much hurt, too much lost trust. The day after we destroyed Itex, we just…stopped talking. I had always thought he'd been somewhere, like, Florida or California or New York. Not still in Colorado. Not still _here_.

It had been…seven years since we'd talked. A lot longer since we'd talked _civilly_.

And…

He'd remembered that it was my birthday. My 21st, to be exact. He'd known.

"So," Fang began. I looked him in the eye. "If you've got a boyfriend, why isn't he getting you wasted on your birthday?"

"Because we broke up." Yesterday. "It wasn't working out." It was moving way too fast, _way _too soon. "Based on lies, anyways." He didn't know about the wings. Yikes.

"Lies?" he asked. "He didn't know about the wings?"

I slid my glass toward him, the ice clinking. "I kept my shirt on during sex."

He visibly gritted his teeth, refilling my glass.

"Sad to see him go?" Fang asked, sliding the glass back to me.

I rolled my eyes. "As if. What have you been up to…?" I trailed off.

"Nick." He paused, looking me over for the millionth time, as if I wasn't staring right at him. The nerve. "After Itex, I lived on the streets for a while until the owner here offered me a job tending the bar. He rents me the apartment upstairs."

"And the gang?"

"Hell if I know," Fang mumbled, wiping off the counter. I watched the biggest group at the far end of the room get up and leave after leaving money on their table. Practically the entire bar was empty now. As I'd drained three drinks, the others in the room had slowly deserted the place. I wondered faintly what time it was.

Fang went and pocketed the tip, bringing the empty glasses back with him.

"So, you gonna let me drink alone on my birthday?"

Fang looked at me. "I'm working."

I made a face at him. "Yeah, you are _swamped_."

I took a look around the room; there were only three other people. The two girls who'd been sitting at the bar, too, got up and left.

One person. Moi.

Fang rolled his eyes, and flipped over another glass next to mine, this time filling them both with something else.

"You still living with the Flock?"

"Of course," I said. "Iggy and Ella split a few years ago, so he's been single for a while now. Hasn't found a girl he likes, or that's what he tells me. Nudge is graduating high school this spring. Gazzy's fifteen, learning to drive. Little bugger. And Angel…is still Angel."

"And you?"

"I'm alive," I said.

"That's all we can really hope for," Fang said in agreement. He pulled up a stool on his side of the bar and sat across from me, downing half his drink in one chug.

"I check for it everyday," I said, subconsciously rubbing the back of my neck.

Fang stared at me. "Me too."

"It's weird, growing this old. Frankly, I never thought I'd make it to sixteen."

Fang nodded, refilling his drink.

"And now here I am, having drinks with you on my 21st," I mused, swirling what was left of my drink in my glass. What number was this? Four? Five?

"Why didn't Ig take you out? Huh? Why isn't he parading you around town, getting you drunk off your ass?"

"Seems like something he would do, doesn't it? But, no. He told me, 'Get out of our hair and go mess shit up'."

Fang nodded. He pushed his glass aside and started making shots again. This time they were a light, golden color.

I held one up. "Are you happy?"

Fang pondered that for a moment. Then he said, "Is anyone?"

We drank.

He held another up, sliding one to me with the swat of his hand.

"You aren't old enough to drink yet," I said.

"You see anyone cardin' me?" He grinned and I grinned back.

I held up my shot. "Here's to being twenty-one and still hating life as much as we did ten years ago."

We drank.

• • •

There were clothes and trash strewn about. The blinds were down - thank God - which meant it was dim but not dark in the room. There were a few empty coffee cups on the table beside the bed. It was truly a filthy room.

I didn't feel much cleaner.

_It's your birthday. Get out of our hair and go mess shit up._

No matter how hard I tried, that was the last thing I could remember. I remembered Iggy slamming his hands down on my shoulders and grinning at me like the infuriating idiot he was and telling me to go have fun on my 21st birthday. Then - nothing.

My eyes frantically searched the room - despite how hard it was to keep my eyes open. I had an inkling that if the blinds had been open, I would've been suffering. Even the dim light of the bedroom was hell on my retinas.

I had no recollection of this place whatsoever. As I repeatedly and vulgarly cursed myself in my head, I forced myself to face reality.

I'd gotten wasted last night.

Now I was in a room that I didn't recognize.

Obviously, it wasn't too hard to guess what I had done.

Obviously, I was about ready to just shoot myself in the face.

Oh, my God.

_Okay, Max. Face it, _I thought to myself._ You screwed up big time. Just turn your head, look at the man next to you, and figure out who the hell you just had a one night stand with. Pray it isn't some grody, over-aged married man or something…_

Before I could even get up the courage to look, though…I felt something move across my stomach.

Grudgingly, I squinted open one eye to look down at my belly.

And there was a black wing

on

my

stomach.

I stifled a shriek.

"No, no, no, no-no-nonono…." I rolled out from under the wing, standing up on the side of the bed.

Yup. There he was. Conked out, probably just as hung-over as I was.

Fang.

It was in that moment that I wished it _was _a grody, over-aged married man.

Not him.

I was almost tempted to pinch myself, just to see if this was seriously happening.

Then he started moving. Which, honestly, shouldn't have shocked me nearly as much as it did. I jumped. He groaned, rolling onto his side - facing away from me, thank the Lord. I snapped out of my frozen state and started trying to find my clothes. I found my jeans, but that didn't do me much good without my underwear…

I was never, ever, ever, ever, _ever _going to live this down.

I found my underwear, pulled my jeans on over them. I scanned the room for my tank top - it was easy to wear tank tops with built in bras than actual bras because I could cut slits into tank tops - but it was nowhere to be found. When Fang started emitting hints of consciousness, I gave up and ran out into the small kitchen and found my shirt on the counter.

Wtf.

I tugged it on, hard, made sure my phone was still in my jean pocket, then busted out of the apartment.

I ran down the stairs and found myself standing in a small bar. Suddenly, the night before hit me like a bus.

"Oh, my God," I groaned. I almost punched the wall. How could I have been so _stupid_?

"Hey, leavin' so soon? Nick never has visitors, 'specially not pretty ones like you."

I spun around and saw a middle-aged man behind the bar, counting money out of the tip jar.

"You're Rick?" I presumed, cradling my head. That run down the stairs was finally catching up to me.

"I'm the owner, if that's what you mean. The name's Jim."

Jim?

It was so ridiculous, that even in my state of soreness and self-loathing, I had to laugh. Jim wasn't even close to Rick. Kind of how Nick wasn't even close to Fang. The irony of the both of them not going by their real names just…cracked me up.

"Well, it was nice meeting you," I said, stumbling over the words as if I'd never talked before.

"What's your name, girl?" he called after me.

Fake name…fake name…fake name…

Fuck it.

"Maximum Ride."

"Bullshit," Jim said, leaning against the counter. "She hasn't been seen for seven years."

I snapped my wings out, still cursing myself in my head.

"Now she has. Got access to the alley from here?"

• • •

Flying while hung-over is pretty much the worst punishment ever. So, I mean, I guess I deserved it after what I'd just done…but let me tell you, it really was horrible.

It was bright, it was energy-consuming, it was long and insufferable. When I finally landed in front of the house, I was practically crawling.

I groaned, walking toward the front door with my eyes squinted almost all the way closed.

As soon as I opened the door, I was bombarded by noise and constant movement.

"Max!"

I groaned.

"Not…now…" I moaned, pushing the door shut. I closed my eyes and leaned against it. My body was aching, my head was pounding, and I seriously thought I was going to blow chucks like I had in the alleyway outside the bar before I'd taken off.

"Guys," Iggy said. He motioned for Gaz and Angel to back off.

Nudge grabbed my arm.

"Where have you been?" she exclaimed.

"Don't shout," I mumbled. "Whisper. _Please_."

When I finally had the power to open my eyes, I saw a concerned Nudge next to an absolutely pleased Iggy.

From here on out, I was going to blame Iggy. For _everything_.

"How was your birthday?" Iggy asked innocently.

"I am going to kill you," I puffed. "Right after I throw up."

Nudge pulled me to the bathroom, where I proceeded to vomit.

She sat on the tub next to me, pulling back my hair, and Iggy leaned in the doorway.

"When Iggy told you to go out and mess shit up, I didn't think you'd actually _do _it," Nudge deadpanned.

"Did you?" Iggy asked giddily. He sounded like a kid. Glad my pain and stupidity could make him so happy. "Did you mess shit up?"

I groaned, flushing the toilet and sitting back on my heels. "I messed shit up alright."

Nudge leaned forward, her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. "Where'd you go?"

"I can tell you where I'm _going_," I mumbled. "Hell."

Iggy laughed. "Max, now that I know you can party, we're totally going out for my 21st. I should've gone with you to experience this beautiful event."

"There was nothing beautiful about it," I said, standing up unsteadily and digging the mouthwash out of the medicine cabinet. "I went to a bar called Rick's, which is just stupid, because the owner's real name is Jim. Like, what the hell?"

"You went to a bar and got drunk alone? You didn't even go to, like, a cool dance club? With pumping music and hot guys and little pink drinks?" Nudge inquired.

I didn't exactly drink _alone_…

"Nudge, bring her some water and start some coffee," Iggy said. Nudge nodded. Iggy shut the bathroom door and looked at me through the mirror, crossing his arms. He was standing behind me.

"I fucked everything up," I groaned, putting my head in my hands.

"Do anything illegal?"

It should be considered illegal.

"No."

"Kill anyone?"

"Isn't that illegal?" I demanded.

Iggy rolled his sightless, light blue eyes.

"Have a one night stand?" The way he said it, I knew he was expecting me to say no. I mean, who seriously saw this coming? No one. I would've never believed that this would've happened to me, of all people.

Iggy stood up straighter. "Max? Did you pass out or something?"

"No, I'm here."

"I said-"

"I heard what you said."

Iggy's jaw dropped. Just as Nudge burst into the room and handed me a glass of water, he exclaimed, "You had a _one night stand_?"

Nudge looked at me in shock. I choked down a gulp of water.

"Thank you, Iggy. Seriously."

"Did you take your shirt off?"

I shot him a look that I really, really wished he could've seen. "Who said I was sharing details?"

"Max!"

"Yes, okay? I did."

"Max, what happened to Ryan?" Nudge asked softly.

Iggy waved off her question dismissively. "They broke up. Max, who was this guy?"

"Oh, _now _you care? After you told me to go mess shit up, now you care?"

"He saw your wings," Iggy said.

"I don't think it'll be that much of a problem…" I mumbled.

"What does that mean?" Iggy demanded.

"It _means _that I don't think that will be a problem," I snapped, managing to sound half as threatening as I usually do.

"Oh, no," Nudge whispered. "Did you kill him afterwards?"

Iggy laughed at that.

"It was Fang."

Iggy's laughter died immediately. Nudge's eyes widened. "_What_?"

I groaned, sliding to sit on the bathroom floor. "Don't make me say it again."

"You had a one night stand with Fang? Are you serious? This is a joke, right?"

"I wish." I leaned my head back against the wall. "He was the bartender."

"Where?"

"I already told you," I mumbled, putting my head in my hands. "Rick's."

"You had a one night stand in a bar?" Iggy asked sarcastically.

Oh. Not where did I see him, where did we…oh. "His apartment."

"Did you use protection?"

"I was drunk, Iggy," I said monotonously.

"Was _he_?"

Was he? Shit. I had no idea. _"How well do you hold your liquor?" _What if…what if he had gotten me drunk on purpose? Jesus…he worked at a freaking bar! Of course he drank! Of course he knew how much alcohol he could take! Me…I'd never had anything alcoholic in my life.

"I don't know," I mumbled, wishing I could kick myself. "Can we just…forget it ever happened?"

Iggy sighed. Nudge was still fidgeting in the corner of the bathroom, by the door. "Was he up when you left?"

"No. Hopefully he was as drunk as I was and won't remember a thing."

Hope. That was all I had now. No dignity. Nothing. Just hope that this would all blow over.

"Max?"

I groaned and stood up. I opened the bathroom door. "What, Gaz?"

"Uh…come here."

I walked into the living room and froze where I stood.

The others stood behind me, all staring in shock at Fang. Fang, who was standing in the doorway, sunglasses on his face to protect his eyes from the burning brightness of the sun. And in his hand-

"You left this."

My tank top.

"Shit," I mumbled. I looked behind me and motioned for the others to skedaddle. Everyone left but Iggy.

"Ig, please?"

Iggy pushed past me and shoved Fang. Since he was hung-over _af_, he stumbled back.

Iggy stopped after Fang didn't put up a fight. Then he chuckled. "I was going to kick your ass for taking advantage of Max like that, but it looks like you were _both _stupid enough to get drunk last night. Idiots."

I shoved Iggy out of the way. My head was throbbing enough as it was, I really didn't need his annoying comments to add to my frustration.

"How did you know?" I asked.

Fang held up my tank top, and suddenly, it clicked. Duh. The slits in my shirt.

"So, was that your plan? Just leave and hope I never remembered what happened or who I slept with?"

"Uh…" Yeah, pretty much. "What happened to your head?"

Fang reached up to his forehead, where a trickle of blood had dried and a bump was forming. "I tripped on this," Fang said, holding up my tank top, "and whacked my head on my dresser."

I stared at him.

"So, are you two going to have a little lover's spat, or should we wrap this up a bit early?"

"Iggy," I hissed.

Fang held up one of his hands. "I definitely don't want to fight. Honestly, I just puked in the bush by your porch."

I covered my face with my hands. Ugh.

"I just wanted to…" Fang took off his sunglasses, pushing them into his pocket. He looked at me, right in the eyes, and I couldn't have looked away even if I'd wanted to. "Give this back."

"Oh, bull," Iggy called. "Tell her why you're really here!"

"Get out!" I yelled behind me. Iggy chuckled like the immature asshole he is.

Fang pulled me outside and I squinted against the light. Seeing my face, Fang hesitated before pulling out his sunglasses and propping them on my nose.

I shut the door behind me.

"Max-"

"Why are you here? After seven years, Fang…What changed?"

"You know what I've been doing since we split, Max?" Fang shoved his hands in his pockets, looking past me, almost as if he was looking through me. "I've been living day to day, just waiting for an opportunity to set things straight. Waiting for a chance to change what I threw away."

I stared at him. "So, you got that opportunity drunk and then had sex with it?" I paused, watching his face. "The opportunity was me, I'm assuming."

"Okay, so maybe that wasn't the smartest way to handle that situation, but _you _asked me to drink with you. _And _you were acting like you could hold you alcohol…"

"You know, that was my first time and I don't even remember it."

"But you said-"

"I lied."

Fang watched me. I watched him. He looked relieved at my confession. I was just wondering…did that mean it had been his first time, too? Jim had said he never had visitors…

Fang shrugged. "I probably wasn't that good anyways."

I shrugged, too. "Probably not."

Fang grinned at me and I was startled into a smile. I yanked my tank top out of his hands.

"Where did you find this?" I asked, laughing lightly.

Fang chuckled. "My foot was stuck through the left wing slit when I got up this morning."

We both laughed at that, slowly turning our heads to look at each other.

"Do you want…Nudge made coffee."

Fang sighed, looking past me. "Yeah. Yeah, okay."

"Okay." I turned to the door, reaching out to open the door. Was I seriously inviting Fang into my house? After everything we'd been through, after our lifetime of history…here we were...

"I meant what I said. About being unhappy."

I froze, my hand on the doorknob. "Me, too."

"And I'm not sure," he continued. My back was still to him. "I think maybe complete happiness is a myth. But I'm willing to try."

"Fine," I said. I turned around. I pushed his sunglasses up onto my head, squinting up at him. It hurt like hell, plus my head was aching, but I looked him in the eyes, reaching my hand out. "But this time, no alcohol. Just you and me. Deal?"

Fang grinned. "Deal."

He kissed me gently, tilting my chin up. Really, that kiss meant more to me than a million nights in his crappy apartment ever could.

Rick's. A bar that'll change your life.

**A/N: Talk to me! Peace out. **


End file.
